Manufacturing survey indicates industry confidence on the rise

The National Association of Manufacturers/Industry Week business outlook survey for the second quarter of 2007 points to confidence edging up from both large and small companies after declining during the prior four quarters.“Industry’s great untold story is that confidence among large and small manufacturers is on the rise,” said David Huether, chief economist for NAM . “While it hasn’t returned to the heights of two years ago, there’s a notable improvement from the first quarter of this year. This is the first time in a year and a half that the business outlook improved for both large and small manufacturers.”The survey of 293 NAM member companies showed 80% of large and 79% of small manufacturers eyeing a positive business outlook for the second quarter of‘07. This is a jump from the 78% and 77% of large and small respondents reporting a positive business outlook for the first quarter of this year. Large manufacturers — those employing over 1,000 workers — and small companies recorded their business outlook and their 12-month expectation on sales, prices, capital investment, inventories, employment and wages.Read the complete story, with analysis of sales, pricing, investment, inventory, employment and wage expectations garnered from the survey, here . The NAM/Industry Week Manufacturing Index is here .

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